National Freedom Day is February 1

Posted on 01/26/2015

National Freedom Day is observed two weeks after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It is not a public holiday, but it is observed with the same mindset of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It celebrates the signing of the 13th amendment into law. The 13th amendment abolished slavery and ended the Civil War in 1865. Namely, it outlawed previous Constitutional clauses such as the Three-Fifths Compromise which defined the slave population as only three-fifths of a person. This was a great victory for the people of the United States. Here are some ways to pay tribute to those who fought valiantly for freedom:

Read about civil rights heroes—Pick up a book at your local library and read about civil rights heroes. Look for biographies and accounts of people who dedicated their lives to gain freedom and equality for citizens of the United States. Just a few of the most famous civil rights heroes are: Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Gloria Steinem.

Talk to your kids—There is no age too young to start learning about civil liberties. Take some time to go through each amendment with your children and discuss the importance of each. Look online for stimulating and fun activities about the Constitution.

Volunteer—Unfortunately, slavery is still a modern-day problem. Even though it is illegal, slavery happens every day in the United States and all around the world in the form of human trafficking. You can help to fight those who sustain human trafficking by volunteering for a local anti-human trafficking nonprofit. Or go to tinyhandsinternational.org, the largest nonprofit that fights human trafficking, to locate a local chapter of Tiny Hands International.